Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	act_n	king_n	parliament_n	4,616	5	7.4258	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02454	The historie of Edvvard the Fourth, King of England. By Wm. Habington Esquire	Habington, William, 1605-1654.; Elstracke, Renold, fl. 1590-1630, engraver.	1640 (1640)	STC 12586; ESTC S120588	129,268	238

grounded were inconsiderate words by which upon report that white Bucke was killd as the King was hunting in his Parke hee wisht the head and hornes and all in the Kings belly whereas indeed he wisht it onely in his belly who counsaild the King to kill it With this accusation were mingled many other of poisoning sorceries and inchantments Crimes which every judicious man easily perceiv'd were onely put in the scale like graines to make his rash language full weight which otherwise would have beene too light to deserve the sentence of death These proceedings Clarence resented as they were intended and expostulated with the King the injustice to his servant and injury to himselfe And according to the custome of expostulations his words were bold and disorderly and having receiv'd an apparent injury built too much on the right of his cause and provoked the King too far into indignation So that soone after hee was committed close prisoner to the Tower where by Act of Parliament attainted he was secretly put to death the manner as it is generally receiv'd was by thrusting his head into a But of Malmesey by which he was stifled In his attainder according to the forme are crimes enough to make his death have apparence of justice the execution of which the King seem'd rather constrain'd to then to have sought For there are reckon'd how the Duk of Clarence to bring the present government into hatred with the people and thereby the present state into trouble had not onely in his speeches frequently laid injustice to the Kings charge in attainting Thomas Burdet falsely convict of many notorious treasons but subornd many of his servants and divers others corrupted with money to divulge the like seditious discourses That he had spread abroad impious rumors that the King dealt by Necromancy and upon offence against such of his subjects whom by order of Law he could not destroy hee was accustomed to take away by poyson That he had not rested there but whereby to advance himselfe to the Kingdome and for ever to disable the King and his posteritie from the Crowne had contrary to truth nature and Religion Viper-like destroying her who gave him life publish● that the King was a bastard and no way capable to reigne That to make this his so monstrous ambition more successefull and already to begin his usurpation he had caus'd many of the Kings subjects to bee sworne upon the most blessed Sacrament to bee true to him and his heires without any acceptation of their alleigance After which so solemne oathes hee discovered to them his resolution to right himselfe and his followers who had both suffer'd by the Kings violent wresting away their estates And in particular to revenge himselfe upon the King who as hee most impiously and falsly suggested had by art Magicke order'd to consume him as a Candle consumeth in burning And what most exprest that treason of his designes that he had got out an exemplification under the great Seale of Henry the sixt late King wherein was shewed how by the Parliament it was enacted that if the said Henry and Edward his sonne should dye without issue male the kingdome should descend upon the Duke of Clarence and his heires Whereby clearely appeared his intention immediatly to possesse himselfe of the Crowne with destruction of King Edward and his children by pretention of a generall election of the Commonweale This was the summe of his attainder which wee may well beleeve had not so easily past but by the Kings publike declaring himselfe the secret working of the Duke of Glocester and the passionate urging of the Queenes kindred But this Attainder hath in it one thing most remarkeable that Clarence here falsly was accused by laying bastardie to the King to endeavour possession of the Crowne Which afterward was alledged indeed by Richard Duke of Glocester to the absolute disinherit of the Kings Sonnes Whereby Gods severe judgement manifests how unsafe it is in a Prince by false accusations to condemne an innocent or but to aggravate the fault of one lesse guilty to the end that crueltie may be reported an act of justice The death of this Prince sudden and extraordinary begot every where an extraordinary censure the unnaturall severity taking away all excuse even from their discourse who most fa vour'd the King At home it was generally condemn'd both in regard of the manner it being prodigious to be drowned without water upon dry ground and the quality of the person He being the first brother to a King in this Country that ever was attainted And what increased the murmure a faction appeard at Court triumphing in his ruine all the accusations were strangely wrested and no matter of fact scarce an intention proved against the state Whereupon this punishment was thought to have beene inflicted upon him for no new attempt His first taking part with Warwicke being his onely crime For which warre though somewhat against nature he had many examples in France Spaine and other parts of Christendome Whereas for the death of a younger Brother upon bare suspition the King could borrow no precedent neerer then the Turkish governement But Clarence imagined the prerogative of his birth a sufficient defence against danger and omitted to fortefie himselfe with faction which laid him open to every assault of envy And because hee had heretofore beene in opposition against the King the libertie in censuring any defect in government was interpreted a desire to be in armes agen Every word of distaste being held criminall in him for whom the King was alienated by his owne disposition open invectives of the Queenes kindred and secret traines of the Duke of Glocester who now began to looke high over all respects of nature and religion Hee was certainly ambitious beyond proportion which made him so attentive to any new counsailes and of an easie nature which renderd him apt by practise to be wrought to mischiefe He was a good Master but an uncertaine friend which delivers him to us to have beene according to the nature of weake men sooner perswaded by an obsequious flattery then a free advice We cannot judge him of any evill nature onely busie and inconstant thinking it a circumstance of greatnesse to be still in action Hee was too open brested for the Court where suspition lookes thorough a man and discovers his resolutions though in the darke and lockt up in se. crecie But what was his ruine hee was whether the house of Yorke or Lancaster prevailed still second to the Crowne So that his eye by looking too stedfastly on the beautie of it became unlawfully enamord And that being observd by the Kings jealousie hee sufferd as if hee actually had sinned While this mischiefe was secretly in contrivance against Clarence in the Court appeard no face but that of jollity and magnificence For at that time was Edward eldest son to the King during Christmas to mingle the solemnitie with libertie inaugurated Prince of Wales

But onely out of consideration of the difficultie Since the townes were of strength to make resistance against the most powerfull Army that every Fort would require much time charge in the gayning and if gain'd would prove as costly and difficult to keepe The people though naturally prone to innovasion and upon the slightest grounds ready to rebell yet by no Art to bee so tamed as to indure the yoake of a stranger And if the conquest was still to be made good by Garrisons of English the natives being both unruly and unfaithfull It would draw much blood and treasure from England and returne neither honour nor profit Neverthelesse the King offer'd immediatly to declare himself in common league against the Dutchesse and to leade over an Army royall into her territories promising to share in all future danger if hee might be admitted to share in what was already conquerd But that the French denyed as loath ever to quit possession yet never so peremptorily refused any proposition as to let the English perswaded by despaire to enter into new counsailes even in their denyalls leaving some way open to expectation During this time spun out to the utmost length by these tedious negotiations the French effected their ends and almost undid the afflicted Princesse Who left no way untried that might leade her into a perfect friendship with the English and engage their armes to her defence Among the rest she tryed one which being singular in the event deserves a particular observation Either by her commission ●or premission a motion was made of a marriage betweene her and George Duke of Clarence who had lately buried his Lady By which very overture shee doubted not but the King ambitious of so ample a fortune for his brother would runne into her quarrell But as sometimes Phisicke misapplyed it wrought a contrary effect and with other circumstances procured his ruine For he having by the levitie of his actions weakned his reputation with the world in generall and particularly drawne a hatred from the Queenes kindred upon him the King and the Duke of Glocester likewise having him eyther in contempt or jealousie stood in a manner alone So that the very first whispers of this marriage were heard with emulation by some with scorne by others and with dislike by all Which gave occasion that his destruction was suddenly plotted and almost as suddenly executed For the King although he owed his restitution to the Crowne when he expel'd from England to the Dukes revolt from Warwick yet he remembred more perfectly the unnaturalnesse of his first rebellion And howsoever hee showed outwardly all the arguments of a reconcil'd brother yet certainly the memory of the injury at first remaind deepely imprinted in his minde So that Clarence by his after service never regain'd that place in the Kings heart which his former disloyaltie had forfeited This he perceiv'd and repind against and the King understanding that hee resented the truth hated him yet the more And so farre grew this hatred that no discourse was more harsh to the Kings eare then that of Clarences marriage with the heire of Burgundie By which it was suspected he being inabled with power might hereafter prepare for revenge For according to the disposition of man he saw all his actions in a flattering glasse Looking upon his revolt from his brother as on an errour of seduced youth and on his returne back as on so great a merit that it lay scarce in the Kings power to recompence The King enjoying by it all the greatnesse he possest Richard Duke of Glocester upon whose nature and friendship he built most deceived him most For Glocester who studied nothing but his owne purposes and cared not by what violence all obstacles of nature and friendship were removed so the way were plain'd to his ambition endeavord to adde more poison to their discontent Knowing bad intentions never receive growth but from mischiefe Hee therefore perswaded him to bee sensible of the Kings neglect and boldly to expresse his sufferance A silent patience being in a subiect loyaltie but in a Kings brother cowardize While on the other side he whisper'd the danger of Clarence his spirit apt to receive any discontent and wanting onely power to seeke unlawfull remedies Whatsoever counsaile came from him receiv'd by the King with more attention and beleefe in regard of his great judgement and professions of love to his brothers And indeede Glocester much disdain'd the advancement of Clarence this way not that hee had any particular ground for malice but onely that he hated any man and especially a brother should have the start of him in fortune But the Queene and her kindred shallower in their spleene spoke loud against him while Glocester deepe in mischiefe was not heard to murmur For they suggested continually to the King with what contempt they were intreated by Clarence how all their honours were mentioned as mockeries A● if the King wanted power to conferre his favours according to the discretion of his owne bountie They urged the memory of his rebellion at his first marriage with Warwicks daughter and the much more danger of his intentions in affecting so much greatnesse in the second And so farre by aggravations of every slight errour wrought that the King was willing to have his brother suffer but onely wanted some offence capitall enough to make his death appeare an act of necessitie and iustice not of plot and malice It is generally receiv'd among the vulgar and wants not the approbation of some Cronicles that the chiefe ground of the Kings assent to his death was the misinterpretation of a prophesie Which foretold that one the first letter of whose name was G. should usurpe the Kingdome and dispossesse King Edwards Children Of which there is much of probabilitie however by his other actions I should not judge the King easie to beleeve in such vanities For credulitie in that nature falls for the most part upon weake minds as those of women and children or upon the timerous whose apprehensions are softned to receive every slight impression or upon the over-zealous whom an evill regulated pietie bends to superstition And with these three the King had no participation in honour Yet this serv'd for the present and carried with him a strong accusation against the Duke for this prophesie was alledged to be spoken by some of his servants who by Negromancy had understood this from the Devill Which with other circumstances serv'd to hasten the King in this foule mischiefe The Duke was in Ireland the Countrey that gave him birth during the time of these contrivances nothing suspecting any designe against himselfe Vpon his returne to the Court hee understood that Thomas Burdet of Arrow in the Countie of Warwicke Esquire who ever was dependant upon him and ranne his fortune had beene in his absence apprehended indighted arraign'd and executed all in the compasse of two dayes The crime upon which his accusation was principally